Le Printemps - week 2 - la fête des mamans

The second Friday of our Springtime theme was 2 days before Mothers' Day here in the UK and so it seemed appropriate to include a Mothers' Day song and craft. Both are ones we have done previously, but both so lovely they deserved to be done again!

The song is called "Comptine des bisous pour Maman" (rhyme of kisses for mummy) and the lyrics are as follows:

Sur un tissu très très doux,

Je dessine, je dessine,

Sur un tissu très très doux

Je dessine des bisous.

Pour la fête de Maman,

Je dessine, je dessine,

Pour la fête des Mamans,

Je dessine en m'appliquant.

Our craft was a mothers' day card with a hand holding a bunch of flowers.  To do this we drew around our toddlers' hands and cut them out.  We then glued the hand - but NOT the fingers to our folded piece of card.

The make flowers using tissue paper and pipe cleaners.

Stick the flowers onto the hand and the fold the fingers over and glue down so that it looks as if the hand is holding the flowers.

A very simple but very effective idea :0)

Happy singing and crafting! :0)

Le printemps - week 1 - springtime collage

For the first week of our springtime theme, we enjoyed singing a mixture of springtime and Easter themed songs and rhymes including: le printemps est arrivé, Lapin Pistache, poussin poussinet, deux petits lapins ( a variation on 2 little dickie birds) regarde les petits lapins (a French version of sleepy bunnies) and Lapin de Pâques (think teddy bear teddy bear turn around but with Easter bunnies!!)

We had lots of fun joining in with the words and actions and it was lovely to see how many of the words our older little ones could remember from last year :0)

Our first springtime craft was a collage picture.  The children had free choice from the craft boxes and there was a selection of foam animals (lapins, agneaux, chevaux and canards) to choose from to add to the pictures too.

And here they are, looking pretty spectacular and making Springtime and sunshine seem ever closer :0)

Happy singing and crafting! :0)

St Valentin

This year our toddler French session fell the day before Valentine's Day and so I decided on a Valentine's craft.

We drew around our toddlers' hands, cut them out and glued onto either end of a long strip of card.  We then cut out a large heart shape and this was decorated with a selection of collage materials and then glued to the centre of the strip - making wrap around arms ready to give a hug to somebody.

We added the phrase "un câlin pour toi" (a cuddle for you) and our valentine hugs were complete :0)

Happy singing and crafting! :0)

Le transport week 2 - flying rockets

For the second week of our transport theme, the craft was inspired by a favourite song of our toddlers, le petit train.  However, it is not the train verse that gets them excited but the final verse about "la fusée" (the rocket) which involves the children being lifted high into the air like a rocket blasting off! Great fun, although I must admit as little imp gets bigger it is increasingly hard work to lift her so high!! 

The rockets that we made can be made to fly when you blow into the straw that is inserted into them. The trick we have discovered is to blow out a long steady breath.  Blowing forcefully does not work at all!

To make your own flying rocket craft you will need:

Craft paper in a colour of your choice.

Glue stick

Stickers/collage bits for decoration

A small rectangle of thin card

Sellotape

Orange and yellow tissue paper

A straw

First cut out two identical rocket shapes from your craft paper and glue together.

Then let your toddler decorate to their hearts content.

Make small flame shapes from the yellow and orange tissues paper and glue onto to end of your rocket.

Stick the small card rectangle to the back of your rocket with Sellotape ensuring a complete seal on 3 sides and leaving a space big enough to slip the straw into on the bottom side.

Slide the straw a little way into the card pocket.  Blow slowly and steadily into the straw and (fingers crossed) your rocket will launch into outer space! :0). After a bit of practice even our little ones were able to launch their rockets.

Here they are to inspire you to create your own:

I tried to get an action shot but I wasn't really fast enough, this was the best I could do but hopefully it gives you the idea!

The rocket has disappeared into outer space!! :0)

Happy singing and crafting! :0)